My reply to Mils Henley:

matrimo

§. 14. I affured her, however, that time only could wear out her charming image being an a- from my mind, and that I had reafon to pology for fear, fhe would long remain the torment of by its my heart. She had a right to be fure to difpel made a mifs me from her fervice; but in refpect of menorial her inclination to live a fingle life, I begged venant of leave to obferve, that it was certainly quite

ny, as

by the gof

of the co

grace.

wrong, and what he could not answer to the wife and bountiful Father of the Universe, as she was a Chriftian, and by being fo, must believe, that baptifm was a memorial of the covenant of grace.

The Catholics, and the Vifion-mongers of the proteftant fide, (the Rev. Mr. Wm. Law, and others of his row) may magnify the excellence of celibacy as high as they please, and work it into chriftian perfection, by founding words and eloquent pens; but most furely, revelation was directly against them, and required the faithful to produce in a regular way.

Confider, illuftrious Statia, that when the Moft High gave the Abrahamic covenant in thefe words, I will be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee, and in thy feed fhall all the families, or nations of the earth be blessed; which includes an intereft in God, as a God, father and friend for ever, and a share in all the bleflings wherewith the Meffiah, in the gofpel, hath inriched the world; these inef

timable

timable bleffings and promifes of life and favour, were defigned by the divine munificence for rifing generations of mankind; and it was moft certainly intended, not only that they fhould be received with the higheft gratitude and duty, but that they fhould be strongly inculcated upon the thoughts of fucceeding generations, by an instituted fign or memorial, to the end of the world.

Circumcifion was the first appointed token or memorial, and at the fame time, an inftruction in that moral rectitude to which the grace of God obliges: and when the New Teftament fucceeded the Law, then was the covenant intereft of infants, or their right to the covenant of grace, to be confirmed by the token or fign called baptifm; that action being appointed to give the expected rifing generation an intereft in the love of God, the grace of Chrift, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, that is, in all covenant blesfings. But what becomes of this great charter of heaven, if chriftian women, out of an idle notion of perfection, will refolve to lead fingle lives, and thereby hinder rising generations from fharing in the honours and privileges of the church of Jefus Chrift. Millions of the faithful must thereby be deprived of the token instituted by God to convey to them those covenant bleffings, which his love and goodness defigned for the rifing generations of his people. Have a care then

what

what you do, illuftrious Statia, in this par ticular. It must be a great crime to hinder the regular propagation of a fpecies, which God hath declared to be under his particular inspection and bleffing, and by circumcifion and baptism, hath made the fpecial object of divine attention and care. Away then with all thoughts of a virgin life, whatever becomes of me. As God hath appointed matrimony and baptifm, let it be your pious endeavour to bare fons and daughters, that may be related to God, their Father; to Jefus, their Redeemer, and first born in the family; and to all the excellent, who are to enjoy, through him, the bleffings of the glorious world above. Marry, then, illuftrious Statia, marry, and let the bleffing of Abraham come upon us gentiles. Oppofe not the gofpel covenant; that covenant which was made with that patriarch; but mind the comfortable promifes; I will circumcife thy heart, and the heart of thy feed. I will pour out my spirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing upon thine offspring. The feed of the righteous is bleffed. They are the feed of the bleed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. Such is the magna charta of our existence and future happiness; and as infants defcending from Abraham, in the line of election, to the end of the world, have as good a right and claim as we to the bleflings of this co

venant,

venant, and immenfe promife, I will be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee, in their generations; it must be a great crime, to deprive children of this intailed, heavenly inheritance, by our refolving to live in a state of virginity. In my opinion, it is a fin greater than murder. What is murder, but forcing one from his poft against the will of providence; and if the virgin hinders a being or beings from coming on the poft, against the will of providence, must she not be culpable; and must she not be doubly criminal, if the being or beings the hinders from coming on the ftage, or into this first ftate, were to be a part of the perpetual generations, who have a right to the inheritance, the bleffing, and were to be heirs according to the promife made to Abraham? Ponder, illuftrious Statia, on the important point. Confider what it is to die a maid, when you may, in a regular way, pruduce heirs to that ineftimable bleffing of life and favour, which the munificence of the Moft High was pleafed freely to bestow, and which the great Chriftian mediator, agent, and negociator, republished, confirmed, and fealed with his blood. Marry then in regard to the gospel, and let it be the fine employment of your life, to open gradually the treasures of revelation to the understandings of the little chriftians you produce.

This I am fure your holy religion requires from you: and if from the facred oracles we turn to the book of nature, is it not in this volume written, that there must be a malignity in the hearts of thofe mortals, who can remain unconcerned at the deftruction and extirpation of the rest of mankind; and who want even fo much good will as is requifite to propagate a creature, (in a regular and hallowed way) tho' they received their own being from the meer benevolence of their divine Mafter? What do you fay, illuftrious Statia? Shall it be a fucceffion, as you are an upright Chriftian? And may I hope to have the high honour of fharing in the mutual fatisfaction that muft attend the discharge of fo momentous a duty? (2)

§. 15. All

Of celiba- (2) If fucceffion be the main thing, and to prevent cy and the extirpation of the rest of mankind by junction, why marriage. may it not be carried on as well without marriage, as

in that confined way? I answer, that as the author and founder of marriage, was the Antient of Days, God himself, and at the creation, he appointed the inflitution: as Chrift, who was vefted with authority to abrogate any laws, or fuperfede any cuftom, in which were found any flaw or obliquity, or had not an intrinfic goodness and rectitude in them, confirmed the ordirance, by reforming the abufes that had crept into it, and restoring it to its original boundary: As he gave a fanction to this amicable covenant, and ftatuted that men should maintain the dignity of the conjugal state,

and